Shades for Archer, history for New Zealand: Glenn Phillips completes century tallies

Glenn Phillips etched his name into New Zealand cricket folklore on Thursday, hitting his maiden Test century on Day 2 of the second Test at The Oval. The all-rounder became only the third New Zealand batsman in history to score an international century across all three formats of the men’s game, joining the elite club alongside Brendan McCullum and Martin Guptill. | ENG vs NZ, 2nd Test Scorecard |

Phillips followed up his overnight score of 49 and played a superb anchor role to handle the lower order and guide the Black Caps to a highly competitive first innings total of 391. The milestone came just before the lunch break on a warm, sunny south London morning, putting New Zealand firmly back into a must-win Test match.

The crowd at the Oval was on its feet and applauded the fighting efforts of the all-rounder who is still trying to make his mark in the longest format of the game.

BRAVING THE ARCHER FIRE

While Thursday brought celebratory glory, the foundation of Glenn Phillips’ historic hundred was built on pure, unadulterated dirt during a chaotic final session on day one. Phillips, who faced a revitalized Jofra Archer’s bowling with fearsome, visceral pace in his comeback Test series, was subjected to a relentless barrage of short-pitched bowling.

In a bizarre but deliberate tactical move, Phillips squinted in the evening glow in his sunglasses to combat the harsh sunlight reflecting directly across the screen. The glasses did little to protect him from Archer’s hostility; the fast bowler repeatedly hit Phillips on the finger and shoulder, even knocking the batsman on his back with one particularly savage bouncer.

In a moment that encapsulated his famous “energy bunny” spirit, a bruised Phillips simply smiled as he lay on the turf and cheekily gave a thumbs up to a staring Archer.

Glenn Phillips wearing glasses while batting against England in the 2nd Test.

– Phillips confronts Jofry Archer’s bouncers with GLASSES. pic.twitter.com/ysrOWTPSIX— Maina Singh (@Maina_Singhx77) June 17, 2026

When play resumed on Thursday morning, England midfielder Joe Root opted to contain Archer, allowing Phillips and tail-forward Kyle Jamieson to launch a devastating counter-attack. The duo capitalized heavily on England’s wayward short-ball tactics, bagging 74 runs in the opening hour alone. Jamieson provided excellent support with a decisive 41, stringing together 87 runs for the eighth wicket to put the match completely away from the hosts.

By the time Archer finally reappeared before lunch, Phillips was on 97 and closing in on history. Fittingly, it was just outside Somerset that the 29-year-old quickly made a couple of runs and one to bring up his landmark, prompting ecstatic celebrations from the tourists’ balcony. Even Archer couldn’t help but give his opponent a warm, congratulatory pat on the back.

Phillips ended up being the last man to reach a straight 100 as he memorably smashed 18 boundaries. Having already established himself as a certified white-ball destroyer with several T20I and ODI hundreds, his transition to a reliable Test match-winner is officially complete and is welcome news for the BlackCaps, who will be missing Kane Williamson. New Zealand may have arrived at The Oval with their backs against the wall, but Phillips’ stylishly overshadowed defiance gave them a massive leg up in the series.

– The end

Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

18 Jun 2026 19:07 IST